Become Transparent Through Conviction — Hans R. Waldvogel

Transparency Through Conviction and the Test of Truth

Live out thy life within me, O King of the Earth. How would you like to be transparent? Nothing of yourself would appear anywhere. Not if you're a real follower of Jesus Christ, or that's what you will be if he has his way with you.

Written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God, and there's no substitute for it. When I was working as a jeweler, there was no substitute for it. Many people could be fooled by these substitutes.

I'm not fooled anymore, because I recognize the value of an unsure test. And that was the test of acid and of fire. I remember a man working in our shop who tried to make a lot of money on the side. And when I was an apprentice, he used to bring me his jewelry and ask me to work at it.

To make it ready for a sale, so that he could make more money. One time he wanted me to solder something on it. It felt like solid gold. It was heavy. And it showed, the minute I put it into the fire, it melted.

It was filled. It couldn't stand the test of how many, many Christian professions that shines like gold. They talk about it. We can preach about it. The Apostle Paul said this, that when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway of his own life and of his own ministry.

David's Discovery of Inner Corruption

...of Jesus Christ. Ye have been the slaves of sin, the Apostle Paul says. That's ended. That's finished. Ye were the servants of sin. And that's true of all humanity. We were born in chains. David never became a man after God's own heart, until he discovered the corruption within.

On the outside, ornaments. On the outside, a beautiful, kingly, a kingly crown on his head. And he had won many victories through the power of God. He had really a reason to be proud of himself. And he was, until that pride was shown up by fire, and he discovered corruption in the depths of his spirit.

And he said, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? He said, thou desirest truth in the inward part, and in the hidden part shalt thou make me to know wisdom. Not the trials. My David went through many, many trials until he despaired of life.

But it took more than that. It took a temptation that he wasn't ready for. When he had won all these victories, and he didn't have to go to war himself anymore, he sent Joab to win crowns for him, and to besiege and overcome the enemy.

And he took it easy. And that's the place where the devil tripped him up. And that's the place where the enemy found corruption in his heart. And God had to discover it, and God had to dig it out of him.

And David was honest enough to confess his sin, and to be cleansed of it. Oh beloved, it's as we heard a while ago. Affliction is good. I thank thee Lord that thou hast afflicted me. Now I know that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.

And God says as many as I love, I rebuke. That's the thing we don't like. We like to shine like gold. We like to be satisfied with a substitute. With a substitute. Unless we love the truth, we'll find the truth not in ourselves, but in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ as the Truth and the Righteousness of God

I am the truth. I am the life. And by that he means, I am the body of God. The wisdom from man that brought that brooch to me was not wise. My he got so angry, when I brought him his brooch back. All ruined.

Impossible to repair it. It was burned. Angry because everything was lost. His profit was lost. He wasn't wise. If he had been wise, he would not have allowed that thing to come into his hand. He would not have paid the price for gold, when he was getting lead instead of it.

When he was getting a subterfuge. And you and I will not be satisfied with a subterfuge. Substitute. We will not. We will search our own heart by means of the acid test of the word of God. And by that fire that melts the iron.

Oh, thank God for the fire of the Holy Ghost. And we'll ask God, search me oh God. And try my heart. No be. And try my soul. And see if there be any wicked way in me. And God won't test you, if you refuse his rebuke and his reproof.

He says, turn you at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you. Oh, is that what reproof is for? You want to remove this substitute. This lead that doesn't glorify God. You want to remove this inward corruption of mine.

And substitute for it. Here's the substitute. Here's the righteousness of the Son of God. Oh, that I might not have a righteousness of mine own, which is by the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ.

The righteousness which is of God by faith. And what is that righteousness? That righteousness is Jesus Christ himself. It's his love. If I search my own heart and see how my love will not stand the test.

Oh, it'll go a certain distance because we have learned to veneer ourselves. To put on a substitute for love. We know how to love, especially in meeting. We can make very sweet faces at one another. And sometimes in the heart, there is the gall of bitterness.

Searching the Heart by the Word and the Spirit

Why not admit it? Why not say, search me, O God, and try me. And see if there be any wicked way in me. And lead me in the way everlasting. And God will say, your tongues are a tinkling cymbal and a sounding brass, unless they're backed up by the fire of my love.

That you might be strengthened with might by his Spirit. In the inner man, that's what Jesus Christ is after. That's what the Holy Ghost is after. And we ought to be so thankful for the acid test of the Word of God and the fire test of that Word of God and of the Holy Ghost.

You know, when you refuse the fire of the Holy Spirit and of the Word of God, God will put you into a different crucible and he'll put you into a different fire. He'll let you be tested. He'll let some tribulation come upon you.

When I was a very young Christian, God dealt with me about a certain matter in my life. About pride. I didn't know how proud I was until God exposed that thing. And he threatened me. Mind you, I've been baptized with the Holy Spirit.

I've been greatly blessed in preaching the Gospel. And God said, you're not humble like you ought to be. And if you don't get down, he threatened me with death. That was terrible. I said, well, this is a fine how-do-you-do.

I've been seeking God with all my heart. I've been praying for humility. And now God comes along and reproves me and says, I have not found your works perfect before my God. My God, I began to thank my Lord for exposing that inward fault of mine.

I would never have gotten rid of it. You'll never get rid of it. You'll never receive gold tied in the fire as long as you hang on to your brass and to your substitutes. But when you let go, the harlots and the publicans, he says, will enter into the kingdom of God before the Pharisees because they cloak themselves with a cloak of self-righteousness and they refuse the sentence of God concerning themselves.

But the publicans and the sinners confess that they were sinners and they've repented of their sins. And God says, and they'll enter into the kingdom before you. Oh, what a grace is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that offers me the perfection of the Son of God, a new nature, a new creature.

Receiving the Mind and Life of Christ

Glory to God. A love that never fails. It's always the love of God that always shines and always lives for others. The mind of Jesus Christ. Oh, what kind of a mind is that? In comparison to my carnal mind, the carnal mind cannot be subject to the will of God.

It may put on a coat of religiousness, but it doesn't stand the test. It will not humble itself. It will not consider everyone else better than itself. For that purpose we need the mind of Jesus Christ.

But think of the grace of my Lord Jesus Christ to offer me His own mind, to offer me His own life, His own life. The question is only whether I want Him. And that's the question we settle when God reproves us, when He rebukes us, when His word cuts, when it becomes the discerner of the thought and of the intents of our hearts.

And you know that's a process that only God can apply. But He will if I humble myself, if I come down before my God, if I acknowledge the truth of God. Because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved.

Therefore God sendeth them strong delusions that they all might be damned who believe the lie. How many people believe a lie today? I know that people think that we are harsh when we talk about a lot of these revivals that are going on today.

False Revivals and the Love of Truth

You know how easy it is to fill in Europe, to fill a tent seating thousands of people. All you have to do is talk about signs and wonders and people will come. Talk and offer them the baptism in the Holy Ghost and even if they don't get anything, as long as they speak in tongues, they're satisfied.

But preach the truth and see how they'll run. It happened in California. There was a young man whom God seemed to endow with the gift of discernment. And the man who was praying for the sick had a long queue waiting for him.

He prayed for one, he prayed for another, and he prayed for another. And then this young man came along and he talked to one of these in the queue and he exposed his secret sins. When he was through, the queue was gone.

They were all gone, they were all scared. Scared stiff that they might be exposed. Uh-oh. They didn't want to get rid of the corruption. Oh no! Who in the world wants to get rid of his inward corruption?

And I've seen Almighty God speak to hearts and people got angry. I'm not like that. In other words, we want to appear righteous. We don't care whether we are righteous or not. But blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, they shall be filled with reality.

Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved. Beloved, the gospel is still going forth into all the world, not primarily to heal the sick, but to save souls. To transform lives.

To deliver you from the bondage and slavery and corruption and defilement of sin. And whoever wants that will not have to ask long for divine healing. It will come by itself. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases, but first of all, he wants that soul of mine to be healed and glory to God, here is a medicine.

It's the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses from all sin. The question is only whether I want to be cleansed. And if I really want to be cleansed from all sin, I will need that discerning of the word of God, of thoughts and intents of my heart.

The Continuing Cleansing and Pursuit of Holiness

When we come to God, we are superficially cleansed. We receive Him. The faith receives Jesus Christ and then there comes that wonderful cleansing process where He says, Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

How long is that cleansing process going to go on? Until we're fully displaced. Until Jesus Christ has come and we're transparent. Hallelujah. The devil comes and he finds nothing in me but the conquering hero, the Lord Jesus Christ.

His love that never fails. His peace that passes all understanding has now come to reign within my heart and to keep my mind and my heart through Christ Jesus and the joy of the Lord that springs forth like a fountain of eternity.

The question is whether I want it. And when I want it, I will do like the Apostle Paul. I will not consider myself perfect. He said, You consider yourselves perfect. Look at me. Do like I. I forget the things that are behind.

I press towards the mark. Not as if I had already attained. The Bible says we are complete in Him. Thank God. That means that Jesus Christ, the perfected Son of God has come to be our life. We're newborn babes.

Like a newborn baby is complete. It's a complete human being. But now to grow up into Him in all things. Grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Son of God and we only grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Son of God when we walk with Him.

And when we abide in Him and abide under the unction. Oh, that's a wonderful process. Now we are complete in Him. There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus because they walk not after the flesh.

Faith in Christ as Redeemer and Indwelling Life

That's finished. And who finished it? Jesus Christ finished it for all of humanity. That's the wonder of Jesus. Faith, the secret of faith is to believe that God is and that He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

But the secret of New Testament faith is not only to believe in God who created all things but in God who redeems me. Hallelujah. He who created me is now my salvation, is now my redeemer. I cannot do it myself.

That's why He undertook the job. Thank God. And that's why Jesus says let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. What do you mean Jesus? Where shall I believe in you? Well, He says I've come to dwell within you, to live out my own life within you.

That's the glorious mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And when God commands us to repent and believe the gospel He says forget yourself, forget the things that are behind us. Now, let me go before.

Let me be the one. Let me reign over your will and over your affection. Let me perfect you. Here's the New Testament 23rd Psalm. The Lord is my shepherd. What a shepherd. You don't have to hang the 23rd Psalm on the wall.

Let it be written in your heart. This great shepherd whom God brought again from the dead, dwells within my very body to make me perfect in every good work to do His will. That's why I'm asked to believe in Him.

And that's why the Bible says without faith it is impossible to please God. God will not be pleased with me until He is pleased with Jesus Christ's image within me. Until looking upon me He sees Jesus Christ fulfilling in me that which is well pleasing in His sight.

That's what I need to believe. And there are people that have never been taught. You know the Bible says that through the knowledge of Him we escape the corruption that is in the world for us. The Bible tells us that this is life eternal that they might know Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent all to know Thee.

Knowing Christ and Obeying the Apostolic Doctrine

My whole earth's job is to get acquainted with Jesus and how do I do that? Why, by looking unto Him all the time. God shall not be ungodly God I will live I fall by show yearly does He ever leave me? Does He ever forsake me?

Does His promise ever fail? Does Jesus ever fail? Jesus never fails. And beloved, this doctrine is the doctrine that Paul preached. And it says Thanks be unto God that ye were the slaves of sin. It's past.

But ye have obeyed from the heart with the heart man believeth unto righteousness. You have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered unto you. And what is that doctrine? Today there is a great polemic going on over doctrine.

I was happy to see that a Catholic theologian at last mind you, at last calls upon the Catholic church to admit what murderous holy butchers they were during the Middle Ages. It's high time that they admit what horrible tribulation it brought upon the world and upon the church of Jesus Christ.

And for the first time to my knowledge a Catholic theologian is calling upon the Catholic church Get up and be honest and confess it. But that alone is not going to save them. That's not going to make them the church of Jesus Christ, beloved.

Ye have obeyed from the heart from the heart That's what my heart is made for. It's made entirely for Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ is made entirely for my heart. And ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered unto you.

And what is that form of doctrine? Well he says to the Romans you're still babes. I've got to talk to you in parables. Like ye yielded your members servants of unrighteousness unto sin. Recognize that Jesus Christ who died unto sin once has introduced you into his death.

The Test of Choosing Christ Over Self

That you're dead. You're baptized into Jesus Christ into his death. Reckon yourselves dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God. Oh this wonderful life unto God. I don't have to wait until my body is laid into the grave to enjoy eternal life.

I must enjoy it now. And the question is whether I want it. The Romans wanted it. To obey from the heart that form of doctrine. They put off the old man with his demons. They put on the Lord that new man.

That's the doctrine. Oh how it has been brushed aside by the great bulk of Christians. But never mind. Jesus finds those who love the truth and are not satisfied with his substitutes. And they're willing to go through the fire.

They're the ones that are going to come through the overpaid Satan by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony not loving their lives. There's the test. The test will come to every true Christian.

Whether you will choose Jesus or your own life. Beloved it'll come if it hasn't come yet. And it will be a glorious choice that you make when you say Savior more than life to me I am clinging clinging close to thee.

Why was it that the Israelites balked from going into the promised land? Because they loved their own life. God brought them up to that test. And when the spies came back and told of the giant and of the horrible dangers they said we're going to be a prey and our children they balked because they loved their own life.

It was a test. As Moses said in this thing you did not believe the Lord your God. I think there's a wonderful teaching there which maybe we're not ready to receive. But I've seen places where men were commanded forsake all earthly health when they needed bodily healing and to trust fully in the Lord.

Healing, Medicine, and Trust in God

I know this thing cannot be taught successfully today because people think they can force God to heal them by throwing their medicine away. That isn't the way it happens. It's something that happens in your heart from the heart.

You know that Jesus Christ is your life and is the health of your body. But I've seen wonderful things happen to people like that. Elder Brooks. He was brought to the test. And the man in charge didn't want to pray for him until he took an oath never to use medicine again as long as he lived.

Up to that time he couldn't live without medicine. He couldn't eat without medicine. He couldn't digest his food without pills. And now he said I won't pray for you as long as you yield to those earthlies.

But preach that and you'll be very unpopular. But beloved God's going to have a church without spots or wrinkles and he starts to think that's what the Holy Ghost is working on. And in order to perfect the work we're like that he's using a terribly sharp sword.

I tell you he's performing an operation. He's cutting away the old flesh. Oh God. And the longer we fuss and fume the longer we'll be the process. And we can't afford to do that. He says arm yourselves.

Reckon yourselves. Oh Jesus. Live out thy life within me. Oh Jesus. King of kings be thou thyself the answer to all my questioning.